Betraying Sasuke
by moonlitXkunoichi
Summary: Her mission was to kill Uchiha, Itachi. But her mission was foiled in an unexpected turn that left her at the mercy of Itachi and his partner, Kisame. At the end, will Itachi kill her or will something unexpected stand in his way? [FIN]
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One: Receiving**

Sakura felt the sun beating on her back as she walked through the streets of Konoha. She saw familiar faces pass by her; the same faces she saw nearly everyday. All faces she knew, but not one in there was the face of the one she really wanted to see…the one she searched for nearly everyday; Sasuke-kun's. She sighed and ran her fingers through her fuchsia-colored hair. Her hair had gotten longer over the years, now reaching the bottom of her shoulder blades.

When Sasuke left, she refused to cut it but after 3 years of constantly searching for him with Naruto, and finally finding him with Sai, she gave up, and let it grow out. Her short hair was nothing but a constant reminder of the only one she gave her heart to, and he didn't seem to love her back or acknowledge her even as a friend. But for some reason, the constant cold glares and such he gave her when they were together, and the betrayal of him to the Village, his friends, her and ultimately her heart, didn't seem to make her fall out of love with him, but make her fall deeper in love with him, because she didn't have him and that's what she wanted.

It was now 4 years after she decided to let her hair grow out-making her 19, turning 20 tomorrow. She had done well under the influence of Tsunade-sama, and under her she had even surpassed Tsunade's skills. She had the powerful punch, which made Naruto cower everytime he playfully insulted her or made a move on her, much to her annoyance, and her medical jutsu skills had improved and were top-notch, making her one of the best medicalnins in Konoha. She also had filled out an application for being a part of Anbu, like many of her friends had including Naruto, Ino, Kiba, Neji, Ten Ten, Lee, Shikamaru and Shino. The rest were going to train more and have teams to take care of. Sakura's skills as a ninja had improved as well, and she learned more then just taijutsu, but more ninjutsu and genjutsu. She was finally becoming a successful and productive kunoichi, including her doing a project concerning Konoha's defense system and completing over 15 A and B-ranked missions which she completed with her allies.

Over all, her life was still happy and fun-filled, despite Sasuke not being there. But it's not like she was the only one. Whenever all the teams got together to hang out, there was always an empty space there that everyone could feel that should have been Sasuke. In the group, she had many relationships- friendly, and intimate. She had dated Neji, and Kiba and even Lee after he had bugged her enough, but she felt he deserved it after saving her all those times. The relationship only lasted 1 day, after he had totally screwed up their date and left her begging for someone to take her, which is where Neji came in. Lee didn't seem to mind, because TenTen asked her out the next day, and he accepted.

Naruto had become her best friend, their relationship tightening after all they had been through…missions, secrets, heart ache, and their familiarity of having their hearts broken; Sakura had lost her crush, Naruto a brother-like figure and through that they found a bigger relationship then just love/hate.

Thinking of this reminded her of why she was walking- she was meeting Naruto for Ramen. When she got there, she greeted Naruto and she sat down, ordering and started to talk to Naruto. They laughed and talked for a while before Shikamaru came in. "Oh, Sakura-chan, ohiyo."

"Ohiyo, Shika-chan." Sakura said, laughing as she teased him with her nickname.

"I told you not to call me that…" he said glaring at her. "I came here to tell you Tsunade-baachan needs you. I was in the office getting a mission and she asked me to get you. Something about a new mission and it's an independent one." He said.

"Oh. Thank you for telling me, Shika-chan, you can have the rest of my ramen." She said, laughing as he growled, mumblind obsenities as he sat down to finish her meal. "Sorry, Naruto-kun, I'll have to hang out with you some other time. Thank you for treating me to it." She bowed quickly and ran to the office.

"H-huh? I never said I'd pay for it!" Naruto yelled after her, growling angrily.

Sakura giggled and finally made it to the 5th Hokage's office. "Tsunade-sama?" Sakura asked, walking into her office.

"Ah, Sakura-chan. Shikamaru-kun found you." She replied. Tsunade had not changed much over the years, but after constantly using her jutsu to stay young, it was finally weakening and you could tell by the shallow but appearance of wrinkles on her face and the way her skin seemed to wear down at some places and was almost transparent, like her hands.

"Yes, Shika-chan found me." She laughed.

Tsunade smiled but it was almost…empty. Sakura frowned. "Is something wrong, Tsunade-sama?"

"No, Sakura-chan. The council has…discussed it and we have found you the best candidate despite some of the other talents of the other shinobi here. We hand you your next A-class mission, which is to get close to the Akatsuki, find their locations, get information, and kill Uchiha Itachi." Tsunade said grimly.

The name Uchiha made a small gasp fly from Sakura's mouth. "I-Itachi? But isn't he a powerful S-class criminal? I couldn't possibly, he'd know my every move, he'd be sure to know I'm there…any other shinobi BUT me could do it, I'm really surprised I was even a candidate to begin with…I ca-"

"I've already tried, Sakura-chan. The elder council believe you can do it, and somewhere under all my doubts arising because I care about you almost like a daughter…I believe you can do it to. It's already been decided and you've already received it, so I expect you to report to the front gate at 7:00 sharp tomorrow. Oh, and by the way…Happy Birthday." Tsunade said, and dismissed her.

End of part one, sorry it's so short, but aren't all introductions? Sorry that Itachi wasn't in this one, but she is sure to meet him in the next one

MoonlitXkoinichi


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two: Journeying**

Sakura woke up at 5:30 the next morning, yawned and stretched then crawled out of bed. Everything she did felt like she wasn't doing it, but someone else was. _There is no way I, Sakura Haruno am going on a mission to kill S-Class Criminals. Is the Council filled with nut cases! There's no way I can do this! _She said, panicking. She ran into her bathroom and threw up. She clutched her stomach.

**Calm down, Sakura! You can do this! You know you can! You're just going to have to complete this mission accurately, kick Uchiha Itachi's ass, and leave! **

She nodded and brushed her teeth, her hair and got her outfit out of her closet. She slipped on her red shirt, tan skirt and put on her boots and gloves. _The way I'm doing this makes it look like a spy movie._ Sakura thought laughingly in her head.

"Honey, it's 6:50!" Sakura heard her mother call from downstairs.

"Crap!" Sakura exclaimed, looking at her Alarm Clock. It was a whole hour off… Sakura grabbed her already packed back, slinging it over her shoulder and she started to run downstairs, slipping and sliding on her butt all the way down.

"Honey are you okay?" She asked, holding out a piece of toast and a peach.

"I'm fine mom!" Sakura said, grabbing the piece of toast and stuffing it in her mouth, then taking the peach and she ran out the door.

"Bye, Sakura-chan…" Her mother called with tears in her eyes. She didn't know the mission, like she was not supposed to know, but Tsunade had told her that if Sakura never came back it was because of this mission.

Feeling guilty, Sakura turned around and ran into her mother's arms, tears stinging up. Her mother kissed her forehead and Sakura smiled. "I will see you later, mother." Sakura said, and blowing a kiss, she ran off.

**15 min later….**

Tsunade towered over her, a glint in her eye. "Sakura-chan…you are late!" She said, irritated.

"I'm sorry, Tsunade-sama, my alarm clock was off." Sakura said, gulping and straightening her back and holding tighter onto her bag.

"What are you going to say if you fail this mission! 'Oops, sorry I failed the mission and almost died, Tsunade-sama, my aim was off!'?" Tsunade said, her hands on her hips making her look bigger and more threatening.

"Gomen, gomen, gomen." Sakura said, bowing each time she said it.

Before Tsunade could reply, they heard a panting.

"SAKURA-CHAAAAAAAAAN!" Naruto ran up to her, glomping her and not letting her go.

"N-naruto-kun!" Sakura said, blushing. She got an adoring facial expression on her face.

Naruto grinned and scratched behind his head, grinning.

"GET OFF ME!" She said, whacking him in the head and leaving him with a bump on his head.

Somebody laughed behind Naruto and she looked behind Naruto. Shikamaru, Neji, TenTen, Lee, Kakashi, and many others were standing there. They gave her "Good lucks" and "See you later" 's.

"Thank you, you guys." Sakura said, smiling. "I shall see you all later." Sakura turned around and headed into the woods, a smile on her face and a serene aura.

Sakura shivered. It was night, and the only way she could move was the moon. "I wish I had brought a jacket." She mumbled to herself. "But I'm almost to Mist, where Itachi and his partner Kisame were last sighted, so it's not bad." She said, thinking allowed. Besides, who could hear her?

She shivered more violently this time. She hadn't eaten since breakfast and she was exhausted from walking all day. _I should stop._ She told herself, preparing to make camp. _No I can go on a little bit further._ She decided. She stopped when she heard the crackling of flames and looked up towards the sky.

A thin current of smoke was rising from the trees, barely noticeable if she hadn't heard the crackling of it. She stealthily jumped into a tree, jumping silently from each tree until she saw the camp. There was the fire, with something roasting over it and bags placed every which way. _They're not very tidy._ She thought.

She froze as she saw a figure sitting against a tree. She almost hadn't seen him if it wasn't for his skin with a bluish hue to it. She looked closer and saw he had gills and when he opened his mouth to snore, sharp pointed teeth. _Kisame!_

She said, remembering his description. _But if he's right there…Where is Itachi! _She wondered, looking frantically around. She couldn't find him. _What if they take shifts watching camp and he's somewhere where I can't see him…but he can see me!_ She wondered. She scanned the came again and decided she should move until she confirmed his location.

After a couple of minutes, her legs were starting to cramp and she moved. It hurt, but she stifled her cries. She moved into a comfortable position and sat, watching the camp alert as ever.

"You should not have moved." A deep, masculine voice said, and she turned around quickly. Nothing. She turned back around to look at the camp and she looked directly into a pair of blood-red eyes. "Mangekyou Sharingan."

Sakura tried to keep her eyes opened, but she collapsed and fell into a deep dreamless sleep.

Thanks for keeping up, you guys! Please leave reviews or message me or something. I would be so appreciative! 33333333333333333333333333333333333333

And I'm so sorry this took so long...I tried uploading and Fanfiction wouldn't let me! hugs Please forgive...T.T

MoonlitXKunoichi


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three- Waking**

"_Thank you." Sasuke said, his mouth so close, she could feel the breath on her ear. The tears streamed down her face. She turned around, Sasuke was there, but Orochimaru was behind him, and snakes were twirled around his body. _

"_Sasuke-kun!" She called desperately. _**This is a dream. **Her unconscious mind thought hopefully.

"_I never have a never will have feelings for you, Sakura. Instead of chasing after me with Naruto, you should be improving your skills. You're worse than Naruto in skills…and you're annoying." His voice echoed in her mind, a new set of tears blurring her vision, Orochimaru smirking in the background._

"_Syaonara, Sakura-chan." Sasuke murmured, and the snakes around him shot at her._

Sakura screamed, and she opened her eyes, panting and sweating.

_**-Itachi's Point of View-**_

Itachi stared at Sakura as she slept. The glow from the fire illuminated one side of her face, the other in shadow, but the glow also shone off of her tears. _She's crying in her sleep. _He thought, leaning back against a tree and he deactivated his Sharingan for the night. He had seen this girl before…he didn't know when. He decided to find out. If she was stalking him and Kisame, she must have been assigned to kill him, or something to that extent.

He looked at the girl again. Normally, if he found someone following them like that, he would have killed them instantly, but something about her compelled him to stop. Was it her looks, her bravery to actually follow him? Or was it simply lust, like so many times before? He watched her chest rise and fall, her breathes beginning to become strained and rough.

Standing up, Itachi moved over to where Kisame was leaning against a tree also, his eyes half open. He had woken up as well, replacing himself with a log before Itachi had retrieved her. He woke up fully when Itachi approached.

"Hn?" Kisame mumbled, looking up at Itachi, who's head wasn't very far from his because of his height.

"I'm going to do some research on this girl. I'll be back soon." Itachi said simply and robotically, the blank face he carried so much plastered on his face. He lept into the tree, and then the shadows consumed him.

-Sakura's Point of View-

She glanced around, her eyes cloudy from tears. She looked around, wiping the tears from her eyes. She quickly got out of her stupor when she remembered. _Itachi!_ She panicked, looking around and seeing nothing. _Where is he? And where is Kisame?_

"Stop moving, if you want to live." A voice said behind her. It wasn't the voice from last night, Itachi's voice.

"Kisame." She said, her voice sounding much braver than she felt.

"Hn, so you know who I am. I think it's rude to know one persons name without them knowing yours, so may I have the pleasure of knowing your name?" he asked, a mocking tone in his voice.

_There's no point in hiding your name, Sakura. He already knows who you are!_ Inner Sakura said, sighing. 'But if I tell him and I escape, they could hunt me down later!' Sakura replied.

"No name that would concern you." Sakura replied, trying to keep a poker face.

"Listen, kunoichi…Itachi told me to watch you, but he didn't say I could not kill you or hurt you." Sakura heard the rustling and clanging of a weapon. "I could and wouldn't even care, what loss is it to us? Also, I want you to tell me why you were following us." Kisame added, the pressure of a kunai threatening her.

"Her name is Haruno, Sakura." A voice replied for her. She glanced over where the voice was and found Itachi, glaring at her while speaking. "She is from Konoha, she was in the Seventh Team with my idiot brother and the kyuubi, their leader Kakashi. She has been trained by the Legendary Sannin Tsunade, and her mission was to retrieve information on the Akatsuki and assassinate us." He continued, a bit of amusement in his voice with the last sentence, but his eye betrayed nothing except annoyance…and a bit of anger.

"The kyuubi, eh?" Kisame said, smirking and staring at the back of Sakura.

Itachi disappeared and reappeared in front of Sakura. His face was so close to hers she could smell the smell of pinetrees mingling with the slight smell of sweat, evidence he had been traveling recently.

"What was Tsunade thinking, sending such a weak kunoichi to defeat us? How long were you following us? A day or two, and you have already been caught and discovered." Itachi taunted, his eyes staring into hers.

Sakura looked away from his vibrant red eyes. She could not look, in case he decided to pull her into another Mangekyou Sharingan. "I was careless. I did not think I would get caught this easily." She replied, lying through her teeth. She wasn't careless, she was hopeless…she did not believe she could do it so God granted her wish and she didn't achieve her mission. She was going to be killed, but at least it was honorable.

"You thought wrong." Kisame said and moved his kunai to plunge it into her throat, when Itachi raised her hand.

"Kisame. I wish to speak privately with you." Itachi said more as a command than a request, moving over to the shade of a nearby tree.

"Don't move, Sakura-chan, we will see you if you do, and you have already experienced how hard it is to escape us." Kisame said, following Itachi's example.

On the outside, Sakura was calm and collected with a straight face betraying nothing and her arms straight down to her side, her eyes staring at the diminishing fire. Inside, her mind was in a panic, her thoughts jumbled and uncollected.

**Escape, escape escape! They're underestimating you! **Inner Sakura, screamed, making her mind try to move her feet. _No! _Sakura replied. _This is my mission! If they kill me, I might as well deserve it for letting them catch me! If they keep me alive…for whatever reason if I escape later at least by then I could learn more information!_ She replied, making her decision.

**Fine. But you're committing suicide; I hope you know, for both of us! **Inner Sakura growled.

-With Itachi & Kisame-

"Why did you stop me!" Kisame asked, his voice angry.

"I stopped you because think of her connections. She was in a group with the kyuubi, and my brother. We could use her as bait. If we let Konoha know that she is in our possession with our knowledge of her mission, the kyubbi will be sure to try to rescue her. He'd do anything to save her, correct? As for my little brother…that's a personal reason." He answered.

Kisame grinned. "Okay. But I'm not doing anything for her. I say, as long as she's in our possession, we make her work."

"No." Itachi replied. "That will increase her longing to escape."

"Fine." Kisame sighed, disappointed. "But I'm not going to wait on her, hand and foot."

Itachi did not reply, instead went over to Sakura. "Sakura, you will be traveling with us. You should get used to us, because you will be seeing a lot of us for a very long time." Itachi told her, his monotonic voice having a hint of challenge in it.

_I can play this game. _Sakura thought, putting on her straight face. "Fine, I shall. But don't think that this gives you a reason to make me do anything. I'm not a maid and I'm not a pack horse. And I suggest you get used to this face as well." She challenged back.

"Don't speak to me that way, and don't forget who holds the cards here. I can easily dispose of you, but I'm letting you stay." He said, and turned around, beginning to pack up his things.

"We're moving." He said, and Sakura grabbed her bag, and followed Itachi, Kisame behind her.

_What have you gotten yourself into, Sakura? _

**Here's the next chapter, and I tried to make it longer than usual from all the slack from that week or so, but like I told you, Fanfiction was being retarted and not letting me upload any of my stories, so I am so sorry! But thank you for all your reviews, keep on reviewing and I'll keep writing! ;p tee hee. **

**Also, if any characters are OOC, please tell me and I will try my best to keep them IC! Thanks! **

**Thanks to: (for reviews)**

**Fluffy101**

**Silver-down- (I attempted to make her not angsty but give her a stronger **

**appearance AND keeping her personality.)**

**Sakura5584- (Thanks! And yes, it will be a love triangle, but towards the end I think **

**it will fade to be mostly…someone…..lol)**

**riyuna16- (Sakura is definitely not killing Itachi! Lmao, there is no possible way she **

**ever could! That's why she go caught….D)**

**XUchihaSakuraX**

**Suzakna Chan- (eats the cookie I love you! Lol, thank you so much!)**

3- moonlitXkunoichi


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: Walking**

Sakura wiped the sweat from her forehead, the beads dripping down and tickling the sides of her face. This was day two on her never-ending-torture-adventure-with –the-torturer-from-hell-Kisame.

The past two days, all Kisame had done was to do everything in his god forsaken power to annoy her. And Sakura let him. It's not like she wanted to, she just didn't want him killing her for yelling back at him for something. He had tripped her, called her ugly more times than she could count and even had spiked her drink, which afterwards she proceeded to dance around the fire and try to strip down, which would have happened if Itachi hadn't stepped in and knocked her out.

Most recently, he had 'accidentally' let a kunai 'slip' and hit her bag, making her belongings fly everywhere, resulting in her having to carry her bag in front of her which made it more difficult to travel then it was on her back. And Itachi stood there and let it happen.

"What the hell!" she finally exclaimed, turning to face him with a look of fury on her face. "Why did you do that!"

"I'm sorry, I thought I saw a poisonous bug land on your bag, and I was trying to do you the honor of not getting bit by it, and I killed it for you. If I were you I would be thanking me instead of biting my head off." He retorted, his sharp teeth showing from the smirk he was giving her menacingly and making her turn around.

_If he were Naruto, and god forbid, even Sasuke I would have punched him so bad**, I **would get hurt from the impact! _ She thought, like so many times before. Her mind had become her sanctuary. Besides talking to Kisame…arguing, was more the proper word, she did not talk at all; Itachi did not speak at all unless he was asking to pass some food when they ate or to tell Kisame-which was rarely done- to leave Sakura alone….so basically, they weren't going to have a heart to heart relationship anytime soon.

Itachi was a mystery to her, which scared her and made her curious at the same time. She didn't know why itachi was so…withdrawn like he was. Sasuke was withdrawn, of course, because his brother, the man in front of her, had killed their clan…but Itachi had no real reason that she knew of to be so blank and emotionless. But then, again she didn't really know Itachi or his past at all.

Her eyes got blurry and she realized it was raining, and that the rain was leaking into her eyes. She wiped them quickly and looked around. Itachi, she realized was no longer in front of her. She turned around to see Kisame, basking in the rain. She looked at him, and in that instant she didn't see a mean and taunting face, but one of the opposite. _He must really like the rain._ She thought.

"Kisame!" she yelled, pulling him out of his stupor. "Where do we go?"

"Go with Itachi to find shelter. I'll be out here for a while." He replied, then tripped her with an almost familiar smirk on his face.

Sakura got up, mumbling obscenities under her breath, and followed down the path to go find Itachi. _This is the almost perfect time to escape! _ Inner Sakura said. _Wait until you're out of eyesight from Kisame, but go slow enough to not catch up to Itachi then run! _ Sakura thought of the consequences, but she decided to run.

She looked behind her, where Kisame was barely visible, she walked, always looking at him until she could no longer see him. She looked in front of her. No Itachi. The coast was clear. She decided to move East, back to Konoha. _I haven't completed my mission…but the important thing is that I survive to at least complete others! They can send someone else…I just can't do it! _

She ran and did not stop until she felt her chakra running low. She stopped on a tree branch, masking her chakra and her body with a jutsu and she rested, digging in her bag for food. _I can't believe I actually got away…_She thought.

-Itachi/ Kisame's Point of View-

Kisame walked into the cave and spotted Itachi sitting by the fire….Sakura was not there.

"Where's Sakura!" Kisame panicked, viewing every spot of the cave but not finding her anywhere.

"She's running away." Itachi said, pulling out an instant ramen package and pouring the bag into the boiling water in the pot above the water.

"She's WHAT?" Kisame replied. "Why aren't we doing anything?" he asked, anger dripping from every word.

"Kisame, calm yourself. I'm letting her think she's gotten away, and when she's tired, worn down, and least expects it, we strike and retrieve her back. It's nothing to worry about."

Kisame sat down and scooped some of the ramen into his bowl. They sat there, eating in silence until Kisame spoke up, his voice a questioning whisper. "Are you going to kill her?"

Itachi was silent, and Kisame continued eating, expecting nothing more than silence on Itachi's part.

"No." Itachi answered after a few moments, and he set his bowl down, and stood up. "I think she's worn down by now. The rain would slow her down and the fact that she has traveled non-stop since we were walking helps as well. You stay here and watch out for our things. I will go find her." Itachi finished, then jumped out of the cave and disappeared into the distance.

Itachi leapt from tree branch to tree branch, his hair a soaking mop on his head, the beads of rain falling from them and onto his face, which he brushed quickly with his sleeve. _Why am I keeping her? She's been nothing but a bother so far…maybe I should listen to Kisame and go on and kill her. _But Itachi knew he wouldn't do it. He needed her for the kyuubi…and for his personal reason with Sasuke.

The whole reason he had not killed Sasuke, was that he knew after killing their clan, Sasuke would do anything in his power to grow stronger and kill Itachi to avenge the clan, because for the 10 years that he had spent with his brother, he knew Sasuke was an avenger and determined, which made him the perfect candidate to be Itachi's equal. He wanted Sasuke to fight him as much as Sasuke did himself. No one in the Uchiha clan was strong enough and he need someone stronger to fight so that he himself would get stronger.

If Sasuke sees that I have Sakura…it's more motivation for Sasuke. _That's all she is to me. A tool to be used at my disposal…bait for the kyuubi…a threat for my brother._ Itachi thought, then he silenced his mind as he once again found Sakura's chakra trail, and followed it.

-Sakura's Point of View-

Sakura's body was protesting to all the movement she was doing: carrying her broken bag, jumping from branch to branch, eating with her other open hand. Her limbs were practically screaming for her to stop and give them a break, but she couldn't…she had to get as much space between her and the two S-class criminals as possible, and she wasn't about to let them catch her.

Her thinking made her loose concentration and her body finally collapsed on it's own from exhaustion. She lost her footing on the wet branch and fell to the ground, landing in a pile of mud which broke her fall a little bit, but she had landed on her arm. She yelled out as the pain shot up and groaned as more but tinier shots of pain coursed through her arm and sometimes even escaped to the rest of her body.

She felt herself losing consciousness, and she moved her head. _Good job Sakura. You didn't check your chakra levels or stop to rest except to find food. How stupid you are._

She closed her eyes and opened them a bit, her vision blurry and her mind fogged up from the pain. She saw two pairs of blood-red eyes staring at her, and dark black hair. She smiled.

"…Sasuke-kun." She murmured before falling completely unconscious.

-Itachi's Point of View-

Itachi had found her. She was in a pile of mud, her arm bent at a weird and jagged angle, her hair strewn, some in the mud and some clinging to her face. She blinked, which showed she was awake, but he could tell she was losing consciousness fast. He walked up to her, bending over her to pick her up when her closed eyes fluttered open a bit. She looked up at him and he froze. She was smiling at him. Was she happy to see him? What was with that smile?

"…Sasuke-kun." She murmured and then her head fell limp to the side and her breathing slowed down to a sleeping shudder.

_She thought I was my brother. _Itachi thought. _That's why she was smiling._

He concluded, and he hoisted her up and flung her over his shoulder. He knew she wasn't smiling for him, but why………why did it hurt him so much?

**I don't know about you guys, but I thought Itachi was totally OOC in this one…**

**-sigh- Sorry you guys… But I hope you like how fast I'm getting these out for you guys. I've done it everyday for the past three days, to make up for when I didn't, lol. But eventually when I don't feel like writing that much, which will happen 'cause I'm like that…, lol, I will probably update every 3 days or so. But you guys PLEASE REVIEW! I won't feel like writing if I don't know you guys are reading it! Please, please please, because reviews and comments help keep me motivated, and I want to actually stick to this story (and this account…XD) So PWEASE!**

**-moonlitXkunoichi**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: Warning**

Sakura woke up because of the pain rapidly shooting through her arm. She groaned slightly, her head spinning and she felt nauseous. She could hear the murmuring of whispers around her and she forced herself to shut up so she could hear them.

"What the hell did you DO to her?" She heard Kisame say. "She looks like crap. At least, crappier than she normally does." He added, and she clenched her hands into fists, then cried out as another shot of agony sprinted through her arm.

She fluttered her eyes open and bit her lip to keep from crying. "It's ugly, she's awake." Kisame said.

"Shut up, ass hole!" She growled and grabbed her arm with her other hand.

Kisame blinked, surprised at her out burst. Sakura never snapped back. His surprised look turned into a challenging smirk. "You sure do turn into a hag when you're in pain."

Sakura grabbed a random object beside her and threw it at him. Not expecting it, it hit Kisame square in the face. Her jaw dropped. She thought he would surely dodge it! The backpack slid down, and it showed Kisames face, his face pinched up. "You evil Shrew!" he yelled. "If you didn't have your arm hurt I would have surely pounded you by now. Or should I do you the honor of cutting off your arm to rid you of the pain?" he said, an evil glint in his eye as he pulled out a kunai.

"No I can fix it myself." She said, and closed her eyes, concentrating all her chakra on her arm. She did a quick scan, and realized that her elbow was disconnected and her humerus was broken. She concentrated harder and took her chakra, burrowing into her arm and linking the bones, fusing them together. Some of the muscles were torn, but it'd just be bruises, and they were minor, so her body could do it itself. It'd be sore, but she could deal with it. She stopped, her chakra half gone, but she felt loads better. She then twisted her arm, pulling it and wincing, holding back the scream that was threatening to spill out of her mouth and then pushed it roughly back into place. She moved her arm around and smiled at her work.

She looked over. Kisame was staring at her. "What?" she asked, narrowing her eyes.

He snapped out of it and grimaced in her direction. "I was just watching you do a crappy job on healing your arm. You know, It's a surprise you were even taught by one of the legendary Sannin." He said, glaring at her.

She returned the glare.

"Kisame, leave her alone." Itachi said in the corner. His whole body was covered in shadow, but his deep blood-red eyes were distinct in the hue of darkness. "I need to talk to her. If you'd leave us alone for a moment." He asked.

Kisame grumbled under his breath and got up, moving out of the cave. Itachi stood up and walked over to her. "Your running away today lowered our trust, Sakura." Itachi said in a monotone voice, his eyes narrowing but still emotionless.

_They even had trust in me in the first place? _Sakura asked herself. "Sorry." She said, her voice not sounding apologetic at all but sarcastic. She choked as Itachi grabbed her neck, slamming her against the wall of the cave, his face inches away from hers. She squinted her eyes together as she hissed in pain, her arms and legs scrambling for something to hang onto on the wall, because Itachi had lifted her off the ground and the only thing keeping her up in the air was her neck, which ached like hell.

"Don't speak to me like that. YOU are OUR hostage, not the other way around. Don't prance around here like you are more here. We're feeding you, giving you a place to stay and I think you should at least be a little bit grateful that we haven't killed you by now." She narrowed her eyes. His voice held no emotion; he had not even raised his voice once, but she could feel the anger resonating off of him, and it made her frightened, her spine tingling with dangerous excitement.

"Well you haven't been very much welcoming." She growled back. "And I don't _prance._" She added under her breath. His grip tightened, and he tore her away from the wall before slamming her up against it again. _Sakura, you idiot. You just HAD to keep your stupid mouth talking. _She thought.

"I don't think you quite understand the position you're in, Sakura. If you wish, I can make it perfectly clearer for you." Itachi said, and his Sharingan started to move. She turned her head to the side, but he grabbed her chin and made her look into his eyes. "Mangekyou Sharingan." He spoke, and she fell limp.

A couple of seconds she woke up, crying. He let go of her and she slid down the wall, hugging herself and sobbing. He turned sharply around and began to walk out of the cave. "I hope you heed this warning." He whispered to her before storming off.

"What happened?" Kisame asked Itachi as he walked out of the cave, looking at the sobbing Sakura in the corner, her crying turning into snuffles as she fell asleep again.

Itachi did not reply, but kept walking into the forest, being enveloped into the trees.

-The Inside of Mangekyou Sharingan-

**You will now experience my brother betraying Konoha and leaving you over and over for the next 24 hours. Let this be a lesson for you to never try to escape us or hold a tongue like that against us again. **Itachi's voice echoed inside this black and white prison of the Mangekyou Sharingan.

_This Mangekyou Sharingan is different…_ Sakura thought. _Last time it was dreamless…_

She then felt herself running and she saw Sasuke in front of her. _Oh god…not this…please, not this. I can't bear to watch him leaving me again…_

After what felt like 24 hours in the Sharingan was like a knife plunging into her heart over and over. By the time it ended she felt almost numb with heartache and hatred towards Itachi for putting her through this. She also thought of something else. _He did this to Sasuke. He made Sasuke want to leave. He made Sasuke crave more power. This is his fault. HIS FAULT! _She screamed in her head, watching for the final time as it replayed in this hellish torture of her mind and heart.

-End-

She slid down the wall and started sobbing, and she didn't even notice Itachi moving away or hear him whisper his last warning. _It's his fault…it's all his fault…Itachi's fault. All this pain and suffering…I suffered, Naruto suffered…the whole village of Konoha suffered and it's all this one mans doing! _Her sobbing stifled as she grew tired. She closed her eyes, and her breathing slowed down to the sleepy shudder, but she wasn't sleeping, but rather thinking.

_I will kill you, Itachi. I shall kill you and avenge everyone you have caused pain to. Because when I do, perhaps even Sasuke will come back to Konoha…to me._ Was her final thought, as she finally grew tired enough and fell back to sleep.

-Itachi's Point of View-

Itachi ran on the ground rather than jumping through the trees. He clutched the letter he was giving to Konoha. He had had a surprisingly difficult time writing it, and he wanted to give it to Konoha as fast as he could; he didn't particularly want to go to Konoha, because he had never really liked it since before he could remember.

He saw the front entrance, and the two guards on either side standing watch. He crept up silently and then walked to the entrance.

"Who are you, and state your business." The guard said, and Itachi could see him tightening his grip on the bow and arrow he clutched inbetween both of his hands. _The know who I am from the last time I paid a…visit. _

Instead of replying, Itachi pulled out two kunai and flung it at them, each kunai flying through the neck of one of the guards and pinning them to the Konoha gate doors.

He took the letter he had, stating the capture of Sakura and the terms of receiving her back, and put it to the door, taking a shurikan and nailing that into the door to make it stay.

He then turned around, and started to run back to the cave, the sunlight peeking over the horizon from a long nights journey.

-The Next Morning-

-Konoha-

"Tsunade-sama!" Shizune yelled, bursting through the hokage office door. "We found this letter, along with two dead shinobi in front of the front gates!" she called, slapping the letter onto the desk. Tsunade quickly picked it up and read it. Her eyes grew wide and she set the letter down, putting her head in her hands.

"Shizune." Tsunade alerted.

"Yes ma'am!" Shizune said, straightening up.

"Alert the dead shinobi's family, as well as Hatake, Kakashi, Uzumaki, Naruto…and- Sak…Sai, please. We need to tell them." Tsuande said, ignoring Shizunes "hai" and thinking of how she had almost said Sakura before catching herself and saying Sai… She was also thinking of how she had felt like she was about to throw up when she read the letter, the feeling of guilt and feeling stupid seeping down her body. How could she have ever thought that Sakura could do it? The council would hear from her and she was to make sure they knew how angry she was. She knew she was not allowed to favor anyone as Hokage…but Sakura was almost like a daughter to her, as was Naruto a son or annoying little brother.

"Sakura…" she whispered, and her grip tightened on her chair arms.

"Tsunade-baachan!" Naruto yelled as he burst through the door, Sai and Kakashi trailing behind him. "What happened? There are two dead shinobi and Shizune said to come, 'cause it was urgent."

Tsuande looked down at her desk spotting the letter. She closed her eyes, sighing and pushed the letter for them to read. Kakashi grabbed it, opening it and reading it his one eye showing narrowing. "What is it what is it!" Naruto asked, looking at it. Sai also crowded around them to see it.

"S-sakura-chan?" Naruto asked, looking at Tsunade. He walked over and banged his fist on the desk. "So that was her mission? How could you let her do something so dangerous, Tsunade-sama!" Naruto yelled, dropping his affectionate baachan at the end. Tsunade noted this, and looked up at him.

"Do not yell at me! I protested almost as much as you did! It was the councils doing, if you want to go complain go to them!" Naruto stared at his fist on the table, his fist tightening so much, blood began to drip down.

"Naruto!" Tsunade said, and grabbed his fist, opening it up and healing it, wiping the blood away with her sleeve.

"We have to go get her, no matter what the cost! This is my fault! They're using her as bait, please I'll take it no matter how idiotic I look! Please, give me the mission to go receive her!" Naruto said, Kakashi and Sai silent in the background.

"No." Tsunade said. "It is regrettable for me to say, but no. We can not afford for the bijuu to fall into the wrong hands. Itachi could destroy the whole Fire Country if he was to get his hands on it, and we just can't afford it, Naruto. I am worried for Sakura's state just as much as you, but…she knows he place and who she's loyal to. She knew the risks of taking this mission, and she took it anyway. I'm sorry…" Tsunade said, choking back tears. She coughed, ridding herself of some of them.

"Kakashi. I want you to be head of a search party for her. Naruto might not go, but I think it might settle our minds if we at least search for her and attempt to help. I want you to take an ANBU team of hunter nins and 4 teams of normal ANBU ranks. I expect results in 2 weeks…if none come…I think we should give up." Tsunade barked, and Kakashi bowed and left the room. He patted Naruto's shoulder on the way out.

"I'm sorry, Naruto. I too have lost another person important to me, but realize this is part of being a shinobi: losing those you care about…" Kakashi said. Naruto put his head down, and Kakashi left, understanding Naruto's silence. Sai followed out after Kakashi.

"Naruto, I-" Tsunade began, but was cut off by Naruto.

"I've already lost one team member…now I've lost another." Naruto said, and stormed out of the room.

-Sakura, with Itachi and Kisame-

Sakura woke up, her head pounding, but she felt better than yesterday. She stood up, Itachi was gone but Kisame was leaned up against the wall, sleeping. She started to the outside of the cave.

"Where are you going?" Kisame asked, his head still down, but she could feel his alertness.

"Outside, only for a bit." She said, blushing at the reason she was not telling him.

"Then I'm going with you." Kisame said, standing up.

"Ew, no you pervert! I'm going to take a bath!" Sakura yelled, grabbing her bag.

"I have to make sure you escape. Don't worry, I won't watch you but I'll know when you start to leave…plus, there's nothing you have that's worth seeing." He added, grinning unpleasantly.

Sakura narrowed her eyes at him. "Like there's anything on you in the first place…" Sakura countered, smirking at him and then turning around to go to the river.

"What the hell is THAT supposed to mean!" Kisame called after her before running up to walk behind her.

Sakura stood at the edge of the river when she got there. She turned around, seeing Kisame. He was facing the other direction, and he was leaning against a tree. "Hurry up, I'm not going to look. We have to start moving!" Sakura muttered under her breath and began to get undressed, washing her clothes out as she did. She flung the wet but semi-clean clothes over a branch to dry then hesitated, looking back at Kisame before taking her under garments off.

She walked into the cold water, liking the freezing flow against her skin. She grabbed at her bag and pulled out her soap and shampoo, and started to wash herself.

-Itachi's Point of View-

Itachi was getting worn out from all that traveling, but he was finally getting close to the cave. He wasn't much paying attention to his surroundings, and he stopped at the river, bending down and getting a drink before standing up again.

What he saw next made him step back, surprised. Sakura was in the river.

And she was naked.

**I really hope you liked that chapter…I was up all night writing it and then a good 3 hours this morning….I was doing research on both Itachi and Sakura to get a feel of them before I continued writing, and I was busy talking on IM and such, so that's why it took so long as well, lol. XD Well anyway, I liked the outcome of this chapter, especially the end where Itachi sees Sakura naked…… ;D Wonder what will happen? You have to review and wait to find out…muahahaha. ((Don't worry I really like writing so I'll probably have the next chapter out by tonight…I'm such a sucker, lol))**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six: Avoiding**

Sakura took her time, turning around and Itachi dreaded ever second of when she was turning, the first time he was actually frightened of being caught. She was looking at the water, but she looked up at the sight of black and red in the corner of her eye. There was Itachi, looking at her in all her birthday-suit glory.

"AGHGHGHGGHGHGHGHHGHGH!" Sakura screamed, trying to cover herself up as much as she could. Kisame leapt out from behind the tree.

"What! What's going on?" He asked, looking around and spotting Itachi.

Sakura screamed again. "AVERT YOU EYES!" She screamed, again trying not to show anything, which was difficult with the two men on to opposite sides of her.

But Itachi couldn't. He was so surprised and so…addicted to seeing her, he just could not look away. Finally he was snapped out of his trance when a bottle of shampoo came sailing at his head. He leaped out of the way and disappeared to the other side of the river, where he turned around (With a final look at her) and walked off, Kisame following behind him.

"Don't worry, Sakura!" Kisame yelled over his shoulder. "There's no reason for you to be embarrassed!"

Sakura watched them leave, her head in her hands, blushing furiously, the heat rising to her cheeks in a flaming hot way that only mortifying embarrassment can bring. She then started to laugh. A weird giggle that escaped from her throat and racked her body. _What the heck am I laughing at? _She thought. _My body just must be getting rid of all the excitement…_she thought, sighing.

She rinsed her body off another time then got out of the river, drying herself off with a towel and then putting a new set of under garments and clothes on, putting her old, slightly dirty and damp ones into her bag. She did NOT want to return to the cave, but if she didn't, she'd surely be dead.

She walked in, avoiding both of the men in there. Kisame grinned at her. "Aww…the ugly hag is embarrassed….you poor thing, getting all embarrassed over nothing. I don't know about Itachi, but I've seen plenty of girls naked before you and let me tell you none of THEM were embarrassed. And they had plenty more to show than you." Kisame said, eating another boiled shrimp from his plate.

Sakura was filling her plate with boiled shrimp and noodles when he made fun of her, and she threw the ladle at him, which he stealthily avoided. In some odd way, it was almost as if Kisame was attempting to make her feel better, and failing horribly at it.

"Thanks for the thought, Kisame, but you have an awful way of making a girl feel better. And how, if I may be so bold, did you even get a girl naked in the first place? With that face and all, you must have frightened her into taking her clothes off." She challenged, her smirk playful and menacing, and Kisame growled at her, speaking another rude comment at her…

Itachi sat in the corner, his eyes on his food, when normally they would have been watching the two fighting to make sure Kisame didn't make Sakura do anything stupid like strip like she did last time. He was also picking at his food, where as regular he would have been scoffing it down with his heavy appetite. All of this went noticed by Kisame, who smirked an evil smirk.

"So…Itachi, we haven't heard anything from you…how did YOU like the little peep show you received this morning?" Kisame asked, innocent.

Sakura blushed 50 shades of red and threw a chopstick in Kisame's direction, the chopstick being dodged but Kisame was laughing all the same. "Ah, what is THIS? Sakura is blushing? Does this actually means she cares what Itachi thinks?" Kisame asked.

"N-no." Sakura stammered, narrowing her eyes. "I just think what happened was simply embarrassing thing to go through, and I'm sure you would be blushing in a situation like this…" Sakura concluded, finishing her meal.

"I thought it was interesting. But I rather not something like it happen again." Itachi said, surprising both Kisame and more so Sakura, who blushed an even deeper red, her face now very similar to the color of the clouds on the Akatsuki robes. Kisame laughed at this, earning him a bullseye on Sakura's part, when she threw her last chopstick at his head.

-Next Morning-

Sakura woke up and stretched, starting to clean up her sleeping area as was a new sort of routine she had learned from traveling. They had decided last night to keep moving, since Sakura's wounds should have been healed by now and the letter read by Konoha, which meant the ANBU.

Sakura looked around, as was always, Itachi was gone and Kisame was asleep leaning on the wall. She stood up and walked to the entrance. "Going to take another bath?" Kisame asked jokingly from his corner. Sakura did not blush but looked back.

"After what happened yesterday? No way, I'm just going to wash my face." She said, and walked down to the river, taking a 'nature-calls' break on her way down. She yawned, singing a song and finally arrived at the river. Her jaw dropped.

There was Itachi. Taking a shower. Butt naked, in front of her. She slowly backed away, and started running. _OMG! I saw Itachi…naked! _ She thought, blushing again and running into the cave.

"Oh, dear did you see Itachi naked?" Kisame asked as she rushed into the cave, flustered and panicky. "I'm awfully sorry, my mind slipped. I forgot to tell you that Itachi was taking a bath down there…." Kisame sighed.

"You knew! And you didn't tell me!" Sakura asked, looking for something near her to throw at him.

"Well, at least you got revenge. He saw you naked, you saw him. And eye for an eye, there you go." Kisame said, chowing down on an apple.

Itachi walked into the cave, avoiding Sakura completely. _Oh my god…did he see me?_ She wondered in her mind. _No…he'd be awfully mad, and if he did see me he'd probably have chased me an put me under a sharingan spell. _She thought, a little sigh of relief spilling out of her mouth.

"Come one, we're packed up. I sensed some ANBU heading this way. We need to move." Itachi stated, his cold voice awakening her from her reverie and sent her to pick up her things. Kisame snuffed out the fire and the began to walk.

The silence was killing Sakura. Her mind was no longer her sanctuary, as she had no real things to even think about anymore…except Itachi naked. She didn't want to think about that at all, and so when they walked, she thought about not thinking of thinking of Itachi naked. Which was very difficult, because embarrassing enough, despite her age, Sakura had never seen a man naked, much less had one kiss her before. Of course, men had tried but she denied them. She was saving it for that one special person: Sasuke.

-Itachi's Point of View-

She had seen him naked. She had freaking saw him naked! She would pay for this…had she meant to spy on him? He had TOLD Kisame to tell her where he was and what he was doing. _But I did see her naked…._ He thought, the image of her smooth peaches-and-cream skin with the water surrounding it and her fuchsia-pink hair cascading down her back and contrasting with her skin. The emerald of her eyes as they turned towards of him…he shook his head, getting rid of the image.

_I have no time to be thinking of this…I can't afford to. Emotions like this or against my conduct…it distracts me from my purpose. _He said in his head. _This is simply lust….chemistry. I only have lust towards her like all men have against beautiful women. _He had just called her beautiful. Uchiha Itachi had never called anyone beautiful, with the exception of his mother, but that was different.

_She is a tool. _ He repeated in her head. _I'm using her. And that is all. _He concluded, shutting his mind off to more thought and focusing on the road in front of him.

-Konoha- **(Not the interesting part, but a semi-important part… ; P )**

"Tsunade-sama…it has been 2 days since you sent out the report to search for Haruno, Sakura." Shizune said, walking into the first female Hokage's office. "No evidence has showed except a shirt belonging to her was found by a nearby river…we do not know if it was with her before or after she was captured, but the ANBU forces found traces of blood on it." Shizune reported.

"Thank you, Shizune." Tsunade said, her voice an audible whisper, and she placed her head in her hands, then ran her hands through her hair, a habit she had when she was nervous, and she was so stressed her scalp was numb with doing it so many times.

"You are dismissed." Tsunade said and went back to other paper work.

"…Tsunade-sama, if I should be so bold…You do not look well. Perhaps you could rest." Shizune said, walking closer to the desk.

"No, Shizune. Besides the troubling ordeal with Sakura-chan, things must still be run here. I'm fine, you are free to go." Tsunade said again, and Shizune took a last sad and worried look at Tsunade before walking out the door, shutting it softly.

"Oi, Shizune-sama." Naruto said, meeting her outside of the office. "…Any good news?" he asked anxiously.

Shizune looked to the ground, signaling no news, at least any good news anway. "W…what is it?" Naruto asked.

"We found some of her clothes. But…they had blood on them, Naruto-kun. I'm sorry." She said, placing a hand on his shoulder than walking again. Naruto followed her.

"But…any good news?" Naruto asked.

"No, I'm sorry." Shizune said again, closing her eyes.

Naruto turned around. "I'm going to talk to Tsunade-sama." Shizune grabbed his arm.

"No! She's very stressed right now. Any more from somebody, especially you, she might break. Tsunade-sama is under a lot of pressure right now, she's lost someone important to her. If you, Sakura's best friend, as well as someone close to Tsunade, herself…she might let in to the pressure. I think it's best she handles this herself." Shizune said and continued walking, turning the corner.

"Sakura-chan…I will see you again." Naruto said, punching a fist into his hand.

-Sakura, Itachi, and Kisame-

Sakura yawned and shivered. The night was cold, and they were getting close to the Rock Country, but it was near the ocean and it was fall, turning Winter which made even her sweat from walking freeze. Neither Itachi nor Kisame shivered at all, and it in a way pissed her off that the people who were causing her so much trouble were in better conditions than she was. _What happened to Karma!_ She asked bitterly in her mind.

"We'll stop here." Itachi said, the night growing colder and darker, and she saw the flash of red in the dark…Itachi's eyes. In this darkness, they looked almost warm and inviting and…familiar. She looked away when his eyes turned into her direction, an image of this morning popping into her mind.

Kisame got the wood and built a fire, while Sakura prepared to get the dinner. "We have nothing except instant ramen packages…" Sakura said, sighing. "And we had that for lunch…" she sighed. _Naruto would be loving this. _The thought of her best friends sent a feeling of longing spiraling through her.

After eating, and Sakura almost feeling like she was going to barf from all the ramen she ate, she got her sleeping mat ready as well as her blanket, snuggling into his and moving towards the fire.

"We should sleep somewhat close together to keep warm, unless we want to freeze." Itachi said, emotionless where as any other man Sakura knew, with the exception of Sasuke, probably, would have laughed jokingly as an opportunity to sleep next to a girl.

Sakura felt someone lay down to her right. _Please not Itachi please not Itachi! _ She thought over and over, her eyes clenched tightly. _But I don't want Kisame either! He'd probably do something to me! God, this a no win situation!_ She peeked open an eye and saw the silhouette of someone with deep black hair.

_Oh…god…Itachi is sleeping next to me!_ Sakura thought. She probably would have felt better if she hadn't seen him naked and he hadn't seen her naked…and the fact that he looked like Sasuke… All her thinking wore her out as well as the walking they had done, and pretty soon she nodded off to sleep…

Sakura woke up, the cold making her want to keep under the blanket. She opened her eyes slightly but then shut them. From what she had seen in the sky, it was still partly dark, which must mean it was somewhere between 4 and 6 'o' clock. It was very warm, and she could feel a pressure around her waist. _Odd.._ She thought. She opened her eyes again, unable to keep them closed for some reason. She bit her lip to keep from screeching. Itachi's face was right there in front of hers. She looked around, accessing the situation. "oh my god…" she silently whispered.

His hand was around her waist. She quickly got out of her blanket, and his arm, and scooted her mat and everything away, then crawled back in, her heart pounding from more than just moving around so early in the morning. _He must have subconsciously moved me closer because of my body heat…_ she thought, blushing again and the thought of it.

Her eyes got heavy again as she drifted off to sleep, her mind filled with thoughts of Itachi's arm around her waist and his scent and his closeness…

**Holy canoli this is a long chapter for me! Isn't that the most cutest Kodak moment, though? –"Awwws"- But in reality, Sakura was right and Itachi just did it for the body heat. Sorry you guys, but I don't want things rushing THAT fast, and plus…would Itachi really do that? No! lol. But think of that, he saw her naked and she saw him naked. Which is something we'd all want to do, right? ;P Thank you for all your reviews! I feel so loved and all that good stuff! **

**GinaCat- You are an awesome reviewer! I don't think there hasn't been a chapter you haven't reviewed! Lol –hugs- you rock!**

**Sakura5584- Same goes for you, you are spectacularly awesome! I love all your comments thank you so much!**

**MidnightMiko666 – I know, right? So much Mishimoto doesn't tell us in the manga…..-laughs-**

**Itachilover101- Thanks for your review! I'll be sure to keep to this story, I like it a lot and I'm hoping that this part will have at least 10 chapters. Yep, I said part! I'm hoping to have 2 or more parts to this story, because there is no possible way that I could get a whole story in just on part! I have lots of plans for this Fanfic, and I hope you enjoy all of them!**

**Thank you to everyone who reviewed as well, but I felt that these people deserved recognition and questions answered, of course. **

**Naruku's Phoenix**

- **THANK YOU!**

**CraZy-AneH-GiRL**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7: Running**

Sakura woke up feeling tired and lazy, not wanting to do much of anything. She looked around and like every morning, Kisame was the only one still in the camp with her. She thought of Itachi and blushed. She had almost completely forgot about what had happened earlier that morning, and she had tried so hard to not remember it either…but Itachi was so like Sasuke that she couldn't help but think about him.

She also remembered it was Itachi's fault for everything in the past. _I vow to completely ignore him and anything that happens between us and everything that has happened in the past was a complete accident and did not mean to happen. I'm merely a thing for him to use…that's all._ But she couldn't help but notice how sad she was that it was like that. _I suppose any girl no matter who the man can't help but want to be more to him than to be used…_she thought, sighing and flopping back down, ready to go back to sleep.

"Sakura it's your turn to make breakfast, get your lazy ass out of bed!" Kisame yelled, and Sakura groaned into her pillow. "Sakura! I'm starving and we've let you sleep in for 30 minutes! Get going!" he said and kicked her in the side, making her roll of her mattress and get achingly too close to the fire.

"I'm getting up, fish stick leave me alone!" she screamed back at him, starting to roll up her mat and put it in her backpack, yawning and looking completely exhausted as she prepared the fish someone had caught last night.

"Woah, Sakura, you are not a morning person." Kisame said, crouching down and looking at her. "You look like you just got dragged up a mountain then pushed off…"

"Kisame…" Sakura said, her head down then looked up at him with a ferocious scowl on her face, making Kisame stand up and back away. "SHUT UP!" she yelled and began to throw hot coals at him with the tongs she was using to turn the fish over.

"Sakura." She froze when she heard Itachi's voice and turned to look at him, oddly ashamed with herself for acting so childishly. "Stop." He said and sat down next to the fire, getting a cup of tea and began to drink it.

Sakura blushed and went back to turning the fish over the flames until it was done. She put them on the plates and handed them out to each individual. She handed Itachi his plate without looking at him, and he quirked an eyebrow. He took the plate, anyway, and began to eat, watching Sakura , mildly interested at her new behavior.

Sakura could not stop blushing at his constant gaze. He just sat there, staring at her. She wanted to ask him why, but he would probably take it the wrong way and "warn" her again, or Kisame would make fun of them, like he had constantly done since Itachi had seen her taking a bath in the river. She blushed deeper at the memory…She then decided to go for it. She wanted to know why he kept of staring at her like that. She looked at him, and he kept on staring at her, even when she was staring back at him!

"What?" she asked, trying to make her voice as gentle and non-sarcastic as she could… Itachi's eyes narrowed and he looked away, sending a wave of guilt her way. She shouldn't have asked him…now he probably hated her even more than he did before. She sighed. Kisame grabbed the bowl out of her hands.

"Hey, I wasn't finished!" she complained. Kisame grinned at her.

"Sorry, sweet cheeks I have to clean, besides Itachi is already ready to go. You would have more time to eat if you didn't space out between every other bite…" he taunted and Sakura glared at him.

Sakura stood up and brushed herself off, and then went and packed up all of her things. _So many things have happened since I left Konoha. It has only been a week, but I feel as if I have always been with them…_she thought awkwardly.

It was the next day when she realized that she was learning habits of both men. When Kisame was hungry, he'd either make fun of her more or huff a lot. When he was nervous about a situation, like getting in trouble with Itachi he'd try to laugh it off, running his fingers through his spiky defying-gravity-like hair. In an odd sort of way, he reminded Sakura of Naruto, with the exception that it was her Kisame was making fun of not someone else.

And Itachi, like she was painfully reminded of Sasuke, with his cold glares and his aloof behavior, and his deep black hair and is 'hauntingly beautiful' eyes that made the darkness seem less frightening, with the exception that he wore the sharingan all the time and Sasuke did not. But there were the few times that Itachi did not wear the sharingan, and she could see his onyx colored eyes, different from Sasukes but in all aspects the same. Sasuke's were usually angry and vengeful, Itachi's was stone cold, but with an older maturity and thoughtfulness.

She often thought about Itachi, which scared her in a way for she felt like she was betraying Sasuke by thinking of him, and betraying her feelings for Sasuke. But it was often what kept her sane when traveling with the two criminals, especially Kisame, who drove her literally insane.

"There's a town coming up ahead. We'll stop there for the night." Itachi said, ignoring the cheers from Kisame.

"Finally! I can't wait to sleep on a soft feather bed…I can't bear to sleep on any damn stones anymore my back is killing me." Kisame complained, rubbing his lower back for the dramatic effect. Sakura rolled her eyes, but she had to agree with Kisame. They hadn't stopped at any real place to sleep, and the thought of a soft mattress excited her.

They entered the town gates, and Sakura was sure that there would be an uproar and frightened glares trailing after them when they entered, because of the Akatsuki robes and all, but to her surprise the town went on as usual, smiling and crowded with yelling and merchants selling their wares. All of the commotion almost seemed to bring her back to Konoha and she smiled with the thought of it.

"Stop smiling, Sakura your face is a loss cause, and smiling makes it a hundred times worse…" Kisame whispered in her ear. Sakura growled and glared at him but she didn't want to make a scene, so she kept her silence. _I'll get him later…_Sakura sighed.

"Why doesn't anyone run…I mean, don't they know you guys are S-class criminals?" she asked rhetorically.

"People in this town don't ask many questions. They're a poor town, and they do what they can to get money. We will be going through a lot of these towns, we don't want people to know about us. No one in here will tell either, it's small and we can find out easily who spilled our secrets." Itachi answered, not looking at her but at the road in front of them.

"Oh." Sakura said. They walked into a small Inn, and Sakura looked around, amazed. For a small town, the hotel was beautiful. Itachi walked up to the front desk. "Two rooms." Itachi said simply, and received the key.

"Twenty thousand yen for a night." The clerk said, and Itachi paid her, leading them to the room.

"Why did you get only three rooms! There's three of us here!" Kisame said. "And Itachi, man I like you but I'm not sharing a room with you."

"I know." Itachi said, glaring at him. "I'm sharing one with Sakura."

Both Sakura and Kisame froze. "WHAT?" the yelled at the same time.

"I thought that it would be better for me to watch over her and make sure she doesn't escape. Plus, I'm the lighter sleeper. She'd easily escape you, Kisame." Itachi said, looking at the room numbers for their room.

"Well, if it isn't Itachi, yeah?" a voice said from behind them. Sakura turned around. A man was standing there, with long blondish hair, part of it covering a side of his face and the top of it in a ponytail.

"Deidara!" Kisame said, shaking hands with him. "I haven't seen you in forever, how have you been?"

"I've been fine, yeah." The man Deidara answered. "Sasori is in the other room, he'll be glad to see you, yeah. We're just looking for my bijuu here in Stone country I'm from here and all, yeah." Deidara said, then spotted Sakura. "Woah, who's the chick, Itachi. Nice lay…" Deidara said, staring at Sakura from behind Itachi. She blushed.

"We haven't slept with each other!" Sakura and Itachi said at the same time, Sakura panicky and Itachi blank but Itachi's eyes flashed menacingly in Deidaras direction. Deidara put up his hands, surrendering.

"Okay, okay, yeah. I was just saying." He said, laughing.

"What's all the noise out here?" another man in Akatsuki robes walked out of a room. He had red hair, and Sakura noticed that he was different looking from everyone else. She couldn't pinpoint it, but there was something very different.

"Oi, Sasori. It's Itachi, Kisame and…" Deidara trailed off.

"Sakura." Sakura said, nodding her head at Sasori who returned the gesture. _If someone was to kidnap me and use me, I would have liked it to be these two…they seem nicer and none of them look like Sasuke…_ Sakura said, and snuck a glance at Itachi. Itachi grabbed her arm and she began to walk with him.

"What are you doing? Don't you want to talk with them?" she asked him. He let go of her arm, her arm tingling where he had just touched.

"No." he answered. "We need to find our rooms. Kisame!" he yelled.

"You go, we're going downstairs to the bar for a drink." Kisame replied and walked down the stairs with the two other Akatsuki members. Itachi sighed and kept walking to their room. He opened the door and walked inside, looking in it then set his stuff down on one of the beds. Thank god their were two… Sakura felt relieved that they wouldn't be sharing one.

Sakura laid her stuff on the other bed. "I'm taking a shower." She said blushing, getting her stuff out. "No peeking this time." she said as she closed the door, attempting to make light of the situation. She heard Itachi's growling "Hn." And she smiled. She turned on the water and immediately began to scrub her skin. It felt really good after all the walking they'd been doing, and it was much safer and better-feeling when she was taking a shower behind a locked door then out in the open in a river.

She turned off the water after she felt clean enough and she stepped out of the shower, drying herself off and getting into her pjs, the ones she had reserved for when she would sleep in a bed, which she had expected to sleep in every night…before she got caught. She blow dried her hair and walked out, flopping on the bed then going under the covers, snuggling deep into them. She turned around and faced Itachi, who was already laying on the other bed and facing the wall, not her.

"Itachi?" she asked. He did not answer. She sighed and closed her eyes.

"Hn?" came a reply, and she opened her eyes again. _Crap…I didn't think he'd answer. I was just trying to make conversation…_

"Why haven't you killed me yet?" she asked, and covered her mouth as she did. The question had recently been bothering her, but she had to know. Was she a tool or was she something to him? It took a while for Itachi to answer, but eventually he did.

"We need you as bait for the kyuubi and other reasons." Itachi said, a lazy tone creeping into his voice. Sakura frowned. That wasn't exactly the reason she was hoping for, but she would feel more guilty if he had said it was because of her…

"Oh." She said. "Also, why won't you open up more?" she asked. If he had answered her last question, maybe he WAS opening up more…and maybe she was pushing her luck with all these questions.

"I can't afford to make friendships. I can't have anything stand in my way or be a weakness to me if I want to become stronger." Was Itachi's simple reply.

"But...that's no reason!" she said, sitting up in her bed. Itachi turned to face her, sitting up as well. "That's no reason to ignore people at all. You can still talk to them without them becoming a weakness."

"They are weaknesses. I killed the whole of my clan…for what purpose? They were in my way; distractions, and in killing them I improved my strength."

"You didn't kill Sasuke." Sakura whispered, looking down.

"That is because he is going to become stronger, and one day I'll have a strong opponent that might actually challenge me. That's the only reason. And you, you shall help motivate him." Itachi said.

"Is…is that the other reason?" Sakura whispered.

"Yes." Itachi said, now standing next to her bed.

"I'm going to lead him to his death…You can't make me. I will escape and before I do I'll kill you." She said, and looked furiously up at him, earning a smirk from him.

"It shall prove amusing when you attempt to." Itachi said.

"God, why did I have to be roomed with YOU. I rather have been with Kisame…You are awful Uchiha, Itachi! It's your fault that Sasuke left the village…and me, It's your fault that the Uchihas are dead…You ruined people's lives, Itachi! You-" Sakura was stopped by something warm and soft touched her lips, almost like a peach. Itachi's smell engulfed her senses he was so close. Itachi's lips were on top of hers as he pushed her down on the bed, silencing her completely. All she could think about was the sensation of it, and how Itachi had just stolen her first kiss.

**Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god! I'm not so satisfied with this chapter, but I like the ending, don't you guys? Lol. Well thank you so much for all the reviews, but I'm awfully short on time! Do you think Itachi is OOC? I thought he was in some parts, but then again I fear I'll never actually portray his character correctly….-Sighs- anyway, I think he did kind of rush things by kissing her, but it was only to silence her….Or was it? Tee hee hee. Well, I'll write another tomorrow, because I'm busy today and this is all I could write this morning...but I hope you like it! Leave Reviews, I love you guys! –hugs- : D**

**- moonlitXkunoichi**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8: Feeling**

Sakura put her hands on Itachi's chest, pushing him away, but it was like trying to move a mountain with your bare hands. The door opened, and Itachi stopped, and sat on the bed, as where Sakura had scooted in the last second all the way over to the other side of the bed, and had the covers up to her nose, in case Itachi tried to pull something on her again.

It was Kisame, humming and holding a whole bottle of Sake in his trembling hands. Kisame started dancing inside when he spotted Itachi and Sakura. "Were you two having a moment?" he asked, looking a Itachi's somewhat annoyed but blank face, and Sakura trying to get as far as Itachi as she could.

"You know what you guyses need?" Kisame slurred. "Sake!" he yelled, downing half the bottle in one go. "Come on, t'ere's plenty of it downstairs." Sakura heard another voice singing behind Kisame, and heard a thud.

"I am okay…yeah" Deidara called, and came into the room as well, blinking when he saw Itachi and Sakura sitting on the same bed. Sasori soon followed, but he looked fine. "What happened in here?" Deidara asked, looking at Kisame.

Itachi was silent while Sakura proceeded in denying it all. "N-n-nothing happened! We were…talking. Yeah! Arguing is more like it…but that's all!" she laughed nervously and fell off the bed. "Oops." She laughed again and blushing a deeper shade of red she got back in the bed and put the covers way over her head. She did not want to be seen by any of them, and she was so tired the thought of them wanting to party all night long sent a twinge of annoyance.

"Aw, Sakura-chan…come on we're going to go get more sake, come with us, yeah." Deidara said.

"We have a right to celebrate, we have bait, and Itachi you're as strong as hell we practically already have that kyuubi in the bag." Kisame said, nonchalantly. Sakura's eyes widened under the covers then her face turned angry.

"No. I'm not quite feeling well. I think I'll stay in here." Sakura replied, her voice muffled by the white sheets that didn't seem quite comfortable anymore to her.

She felt Itachi get off the bed, and heard the door close, mumbles of "Party-pooper" and "Fun-sucker" drifting out with them. The other bed squeaked as someone lay on it, and she realized Itachi was still in the room. She "humphed" and turned around to face the other way, Itachi laying on his back staring at the ceiling.

"Don't try to escape I'll know if you try." Itachi said, but Sakura ignored him. _Since when was he allowed to do something like that! He stole my first kiss…the one that was meant for…Sasuke. I just cheated on Sasuke. _

**Sakura! **Inner Sakura intervened. **You did NOT cheat on Sasuke…you were never **

**WITH him in the first place!**

_Well THANKS for pointing that out._ Sakura retorted, her fists unconsciously tightening and loosening.

**But it's true. Face it Sakura, he didn't love you…didn't love you at all. Sasuke was just a childish crush you had when you were younger. He's probably forgotten about you by now…all he cared about was power to kill…**

_Itachi. Exactly…it's all his fault that Sasuke left. And he's using me and thinks he has a right to kiss me because of it. I am a traitor to Sasuke. Even if he did not love me back, he was someone special to me and by kissing his brother…the whole reason for this mess, the one he wants revenge on…I have betrayed him._

**You didn't kiss him though. He kissed you.**

Sakura was silent. He had kissed her, but she was talking so much it was probably to shut her up. Something done by his idiotic male brain, like the other night when he had pulled her to him for her body warmth. All these memories with the bonus of remembering him bathing ran through her head and her cheeks grew warm. _Everything that has happened between us has been an accident…nothing more. _She thought before drifting off to sleep.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"_Thank you." Sasuke said, his mouth so close, she could feel the breath on her ear. The tears streamed down her face. She turned around, Sasuke was there, but Orochimaru was behind him, and snakes were twirled around his body. _

"_Sasuke-kun!" She called desperately. _

"_I never have a never will have feelings for you, Sakura. Instead of chasing after me with Naruto, you should be improving your skills. You're worse than Naruto in skills…and you're annoying." His voice echoed in her mind, a new set of tears blurring her vision, Orochimaru smirking in the background._

"_Syaonara, Sakura-chan." Sasuke murmured, and the snakes surrounding him shot out at her. _

_But something stepped in front of her, taking the blow for her. She looked up and saw Itachi, the snakes embedded in his chest but his blank face showed nothing. Now pain, not anger...he just stood there taking the blows for her and this time it was all her fault…_

Sakura woke up. She wasn't panting, she wasn't sweating. She had this nice feeling in her stomach…on she wished would not go away. She looked around and saw Itachi on the bed beside her, and she remembered last night, and her stomach dropped sharply and the feeling was gone, but she felt better than yesterday and a somewhat guilty feeling entered her stomach as she remembered all the awful things she had thought about last night.

It wasn't completely Itachi's fault…it was there parents, for the way they raised him, especially their father, who was said to be strict and only pleased if Itachi was the top at everything, and didn't view Sasuke as anyone unless he showed any signs of being a child Prodigy like Itachi had been. It was also Sasuke as well and his stupid vengeful spirit.

She got up and began to get dressed. She was up achingly early, but she was going to use it to get ready and perhaps go downstairs and eat something…real food not the instand rame crap they had been having to eat for the past two days. If they even had to look at another package, she thought she might throw up.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

After everyone had eaten, they had gone to the town's grocer to get more and better things than instant ramen packages, which Sakura enjoyed doing immensely. They were paying when a commotion began at the gate entrance. Kisame and Itachi were outside too, and Itachi grabbed Sakura's upper arm and dragged her out of the store.

"Ow, what are you doing?" Sakura asked, rubbing her arm. She looked at the gate and gasped. There were many ANBU, looking in homes. They didn't violate anything, but their means of getting the people out of their houses was forceful and crude. Itachi picked up Sakura and flung her over his shoulder, to her great protest and started to move. She noticed that Deidara and Sasori were trailing behind them.

"We can not let you pass!" Sakura heard an ANBU speak at the opposite gate where they tried to get away. She heard the drawing of a weapon, a couple of screams and the whistle of the weapon as it made it's way through the air. They began to run again and when they passed she could see the bloody and mangled bodies of the ANBU, their masks torn off and in pools of blood by the bodies.

_I could have known one of those people…_ she thought, suddenly feeling nauseous, with the added discomfort of her stomach bouncing on Itachi's shoulder every once in a while. After a long while, Itachi finally set her down so they could begin walking again.

"We need to change our route, they're on to us!" Kisame said, glaring at Sakura as if were all HER fault that THEY had taken HER hostage. She glared right back at him, daring him to make this all seem like her doing. Kisame didn't oblige, but it was tense all around them in the air.

"Fine." Itachi agreed. "I say we head east, to Konoha again. They'll never suspect that we'd actually go to them…" Itachi said and began to lead the way. Deidara and Sasori followed until they passed by another city, going around instead of through it.

"We have to stop here. It was nice seeing you guys, and a pleasure meeting you, Sakura-chan, yeah." Deidara said, bowing and winking at Sakura before he and Sasori disappeared, leaving a smiling Kisame, a blank faced Itachi (Big surprise there) and a blushing Sakura.

"Let's go." Itachi said and they started to walk again.

-ANBU-

"Kakashi…no one would say if they had passed through here or not, but we found an article of clothing in one of the town's inn's rooms…one of Sakura's gloves…we believe they were here." An ANBU in a panda mask said, his body in a kneeling position as he reported to Kakashi. Kakashi nodded.

"Thank you. They would have probably seen us, so they changed direction span out from the opposite side of the city and clear out the forest…they must be in there somewhere, and we're probably not very far behind." Kakashi said, and the ANBU nodded, disappearing in a gust of smoke, preparing to spread the news to his and other teams.

_I don't believe it's a coincidence that Sakura keeps "forgetting" her clothing everywhere._ Kakashi thought. _First at the river, then here. She's most likely either telling us she's still alive or trying to help us track them. Or both. _ He though, and smiled at his former student proudly.

-Sakura, Kisame and Itachi-

It was the next morning, the previous day and night nothing special, they traveled then. Sakura had snuck away, pretending to have to use the restroom, blushing and was currently hanging a piece of a shirt she had ripped in shreds to give the ANBU a "heads-up".

The day was half way and they had stopped for a lunch break when Itachi came up to her. "You dropped this." He said, and handed her the strip of her shirt.

**Uh-oh, Sakura got caught! Lol. I am totally unsatisfied with this chapter, and it's so short but I got a complete writer block this morning…not to mention we celebrated the fourth of july yesterday and one of the sparklers landed on my toe when it was lit and it burned and hurt like hell, I tell you. I was seriously cussing and putting my foot in the bucket of water, even though it hurt it was mildly funny seeing me run around like that and a lot of people video taped me, at my expense…-sigh- Anyway thank you for all of your reviews! –hug- I'm trying to get these out ASAP for you guys! **

**Midnight-Miko666- Thank you for all your constructive criticism I'm glad you took the time to tell me! You know you're right, it wasn't that much of a fight at all but I'm not good at writing fight scenes…at least verbal fights. Physical fights I'm better atwriting…but sorry anyways, lol I shall try to make it up to you in the next chapter, as this one was just mindless fluff I pulled out of my dryer today….XD**

**Kasaiaisu- Thanx a whole bunches for your review! I try to make the Kisame vs. Sakura parts as funny as I possibly can…XD**

**Angel locket- I try to update everyday so keep reading please! –hugs- Thankies…lol**

**Kurenai Chinoumi****- Thank you for your review I would so know what you meant if I knew what Sugoi meant! XD **

**Xinoria- Thank you for your constructive criticism as well! I know he's awfully out of character, but I've read so many other fanfics where he has been, I'm coming to a point where I kind of don't care, lol. But I shall try to get him In character for you, and I tried in this Chapter, please tell me what you think!**

**Sakura5584- It's my favorite reviewer! Lol –hugs- thank you for always reviewing I look forward for your reviews more than you guys look for new chapters in fanfics! Lol **

**-moonlitXkunoichi**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9: Fearing**

Sakura looked wide-eyed and frightened at the strip of cloth that Itachi was holding in his outstretched hand. "I-why…I…" she stuttered, trying to deny it all or come up with some excuse, like she must have ripped her shirt or something and that's how it got on there, but when she looked down she was wearing a black shirt, not a white one like the strip of cloth was.

Itachi did not look mad or accusing at her. In fact, he looked a little…disappointed, even if his face was blank, but she could tell it from his eyes, and the way they curved down on the outsides, as if he were sad. It was funny, she had been with him for so long it was almost as if she could now read his emotions and learning his habits. Such as, when he was irritated, his eyes would narrow and widen and then narrow again, almost as if he were twitching but now quite. She almost smiled, but with her stomach dropping remembered the situation she was in.

She looked at the ground, oddly ashamed of what she had done, like a child would when his mother was scolding him for stealing a piece of candy in a grocery store. She looked up at Itachi through her eyelashes, trying to see what he looked like now…would he be forgiving like the mother to her child when she realizes that her child is just a child, and that mistakes are made…or would he look down on her as a father on his disappointing son, and ignore him or harshly discipline them, like Itachi's own father had done with both of his sons?

She finally got a full view of his face, he had his eyes closed and he was looking slightly away from her. His eyes opened when he felt her glare on him. "Sakura…You have betrayed the trust of Kisame and I twice. I've already tried punishing you with the Mangekyou Sharingan…It's not working. What am I supposed to do with you?" Itachi asked, his voice monotone and blank without any emotion, and it pained Sakura how calm he could be, where in the same situation she would have been shaking with anger and would have beat the person because of it.

She looked away again. "Itachi, I…"

**Why are YOU apologizing, Sakura? It's not your fault you're trying to escape! They have you at their mercy it's only right that you would want to escape! Don't fall for all that "Betraying Their Trust" crap! Show him a piece of your mind! If he puts you under the Mangekyou again, you'll hold up like last time! Show him who's boss and give him a piece of your bad ass, girl! **Inner Sakura yelled, flaming and punching her fist into the palm of her hand.

"…I'm not sorry." Sakura said, whispering at first. She looked up at him, a hard determined look on her face, her fist clenching. "You put me in this situation, I didn't choose this! I have the soul right as a human being as survival instincts even, to try and escape! And I think you telling me that you're 'disappointed in me' and how I 'betrayed your trust' is just a bunch of bull! I don't know why you had any freaking trust in me in the first place as a hostage. Why do you even give a rat's ass if I betray you or not? You're always so cold there's no way I can't even be close enough to you for you to feel any hurt that I tried to escape! I don't care if you beat me until I bleed, emotionally scar me senseless…I'll gladly let you do it to escape this constant hell you're putting me through…I never wanted to go on this mission in the first place. I knew I would be able to assassinate any of you or follow you with getting caught but I did it anyway. I don't want to be here…I rather be home in Konoha or looking…looking for Sasuke." Sakura finally finished.

She hadn't realized it, but halfway during her speech she had started to cry, the tears making paths of wet teary substance on her face. She wiped at it, but it didn't hardly do anything and she gave up, looking at the ground and letting the tears fall, the sobs racking through her body.

Shinobi and Kunoichi were not allowed to cry, but right now she was letting out everything that she had been holding in forever. It felt as if the tears should never stop, and she hid her face behind her curtain of hair, not wanting him to see her face or see her weakness, though it was clear what she was doing and pointless in her trying to hide it.

Sakura felt a warm hand on her face, lifting it up. She opened her closed eyes, sniffling and looked at Itachi. His face showed nothing, and she couldn't even read his eyes, which were staring at her intently, as if trying to memorize every detail, every crevice on her face. She felt the tears leave her face as his thumb raked across her face, the tears going with it, and she closed her eyes, her face almost subconsciously leaning into his hand, not wanting his hand to leave her.

She stopped crying, and she felt as every girl did after a good cry; clean and refreshed, with the exception of some dry epi-sobs, and the occasional hiccup. Itachi removed his hand, and he turned away but before she did she could have sworn she saw a very light, almost unnoticeable blush creep over her face, and she was stunned for a bit, but it turned into a smile.

She watched as he went over to start lunch, and she started walking to a stream to wash off her face, one of her cheeks still streaked with tears. She touched her face where he had, not washing it. She giggled like a school girl as she remembered it and a blush crept up on her own face. She didn't know what emotions she was feeling for the eldest Uchiha, but she felt guilty once again for Sasuke. She wasn't sure if she was feeling them because he looked like Sasuke and was like Sasuke in a way…or maybe the feelings for Itachi were genuine.

_When did I even start having feelings for him?_ She asked, brushing the thought off. _It's definitely because he looks like Sasuke._ She decided. But then she began to think of how they did look alike, and acted the same sometimes…but they were so different, some differences like day and night.

Such as the way they both walked. Itachi walked with a straight back, and had a confident stride that was almost filled with maturity. Sasuke walked lightly and cautious, as if something were going to poke out and attack him at any second, where as Itachi was confident that even if something did try to attack him, he would defeat it easily.

Their personalities were different as well…even though they were both cold, Sasuke's was more open and challenging, such as in his quarrels with Naruto…at least, his personality before he had joined Orochimaru, the memory sending painful memories of both her nightmares and of the past.

Itachis was just as cold, but his was…mysterious and dark and dangerous, which sent shivers up her spine. Itachi also had sweet side to him, which she found was her favorite part because it only showed up sometimes….but she hated it too, because at the risk of her loyalty to Konoha and to Sasuke, these feelings she was determined to ignore.

_This is lust. Hormones are acting up, and it's just because he's…he's someone of the opposite sex, it's just chemical hormonal crap that attracts people together even if they don't like each other._ She said, shaking her head.

**Hn…then how come you don't feel that way for every boy you know. Like Kisame…Naruto… **Inner Sakura listed.

_That's because Kisame can't even be considered a man…at least a human one, and Naruto…ew, he's just a friend, and from a friends perspective and as nice as possible, he's gross! _ She replied.

**You never felt this confused, emotional and…lustful, as you put it with Sasuke. **Inner Sakura pointed out, a victorious grin spreading across her face.

Sakura, once again, was silenced by her inner self, no comeback arising, and she felt sorely disappointed in herself for it. If she really was loyal to Sasuke…she would have thought of an instant retort to her inner protestings…but she couldn't, and it scared her.

-Itachi-

Itachi walked away, ignoring the way his stomach was churning. He had touched her, intimately, and this time…she hadn't protested. He looked blankly at the fire that was cooking the vegetables over the flames. He couldn't have these emotions he told himself for about the 15th time since he had met her.

She made him feel things he hadn't felt for anyone before, and it made him disappointed in himself for feeling them. He had remembered the way his mother had spoken to him, saying he needed more feeling that such coldness would be his biggest downfall and that it wasn't healthy for him. He remembered him ruffling his hair in the annoying way she would, and how he scowled and left the table, her smiling sadly after him.

He thought of Sakura again, then tried to think of something different. He thought of how much stronger he would be with the kyuubi in him and how he would fight Sasuke which would be an actual challenge.

"You shouldn't make her expect more than you can give." Kisame's voice spoke, Kisame leaning against a tree, his arms crossed and his eyes closed.

"I'm not making her expect anything." Itachi replied, glaring at him, his nose turning pink.

Kisame grinned. "Whatever you say, but I didn't think I'd ever see you with emotions or such before but you really are a mysterious man full of suprises, eh?" Kisame said, and cringed as Itachi clocked him in the head with a spatula, the spatula bending under the pressure of Kisame's head.

Sakura walked into the camp again, with Itachi eating and Kisame rubbing his head while doing the same. She looked suspiciously at the two, then grabbed her food, staring at it, completely in thought.

She kept on snatching glances of Itachi, blushing every time, whether he caught her in the act or not. Itachi was suddenly alert, and he stood up quickly, the plate on his lap crashing loudly onto the floor. Kisame did the same, but set his plate down before. Kisame snuffed out the fire as quickly as he could, then threw the left over food from their plates into the woods, as well as Sakura's to her protest as they snatched the plate out of her hands, and then threw them into a random bag. Itachi grabbed his bag as well as Sakura's, and he grabbed her arm as well, starting to drag her along.

She made herself heavier, pulling back. "What are we doing?" She asked, much to the two s-class Criminals annoyance.

"We have company." Itachi said.

"And thanks to you we couldn't lose them in time." Kisame complained.

A couple of teams of ANBU walked out, the familiar cloaks and masks of Konoha ANBU sending waves of relief and comfort to Sakura. Sakura's eyes felt grew wide as she saw her old sensei and friend, Kakashi.

"Kakashi-sensei!" She called, smiling broadly, and trying to get out of the grasp of Itachi to go meet him, but Itachi held her fast, and she sent a glare his way, Itachi staring at the ANBU and not her.

"We've come to take Sakura-chan back, and we will either compromise or fight you but we go back with her." Kakashi said, a scary seriousness in his voice that Sakura had heard rarely, and it still scared her.

Itachi smirked. "Fine. Come take her." Itachi said, and pushed her behind him, and she was grabbed by Kisame. Itachi unbuttoned the top of his cloak and moved his hand out, prepared to fight.

Sakura watched in awe as he did it, praying to god that she wouldn't loose anyone she cared about in this fight…not before she figured out her feelings.

**Ack…-hides- Sorry, lol I'm tired, I just got home from a sleep over then a party, so I'm worn out and this wasn't really good but I shall return with a better one! I promise you! I got so many reviews I thank you all! –hugs- I would reply to them but there were so many and I'm so tired I'll reply to them all in the next one I promise! I also won't disappoint you with the next one, which I know you shall enjoy because the last two chapters have been fluff….but important fluff which leads up to the next one where…-clamps mouth- -evil smirk- I guess you'll have to find out in the next one, lol. I :heart: you guys! Lmao, byeas!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10: Protecting**

Sakura struggled against Kisame again. Kakashi-sensei and Itachi were going to fight? She had to stop this! She couldn't bear losing either of them. Kakashi was her sensei…and Itachi? Itachi she still didn't know her feelings for so she had to know, so she couldn't lose him either. But the last time that Kakashi and Itachi had fought, Itachi had won didn't he? As if reading her mind, Kakashi looked at her.

"Hello, Sakura-chan. Don't worry about me, I've improved even for me." He said, and his eyes crinkled in the corner as he smiled his usual lazy and carefree smile. She smiled weakly back at him, feeling foolish for not having more confidence in him. The other ANBU around Kakashi made a move to attack Itachi, but Kakashi held his hand up.

"All of us against one isn't fair. I shall attack Itachi, retrieving Sakura shall be your main objective- spread out!" He called, and all of them spanned out, surrounding Kisame, Sakura, Itachi and Kakashi. It was silent, excluding the wind whistling through the trees and the rustling of the leaves.

Kakashi suddenly moved, taking out his Kunai and lifting his forehead protector to show his sharingan eye. Itachi smirked, as the markings of his sharingan moved and formed into one. Kakashi made the first move as he dashed at Itachi and Itachi simply disappeared, but Kakashi knew this and turned around behind him where Itachi was and blocked Itachi's kunai attack.

Itachi moved backwards as Kakashi tried to kick him in the gut, but Kakashi threw a kunai at the bottom of his Akatsuki robes, Itachi simply pulled it out, but it had an explosion note and it exploded.

"Itachi!" Sakura yelled, and struggled against Kisame, who was holding her and fending off the teams of ANBU at the same time, and to Sakura's dismay Kisame was winning. He wasn't even using his giant blade, which was a mystery to Sakura, for she had never really seen it.

Kisame had thrown one of the ANBU to the ground, and some of the ANBU even began retreating, against orders but they were probably regrouping to figure out a plan to beat this insanely strong s-class criminal.

Kakashi coughed. At the last minute, Itachi had switched places with Kakashi, leaving him watching as the explosion note hit Kakashi, but Kakashi was too quick and had dodged, only leaving a minor burn that would probably blister but be allright.

Sakura bit her lip, like she did when she was nervous or worried. Itachi and Kakashi were pretty evenly matched, but Itachi had an advantage, being a child prodigy and all. She looked nervously between the two. They were staring at each other, but she noticed how Kakashi stared at Itachi's chin, not at his eye so he wouldn't be put through another Mangekyou Sharingan, and left in an extensive care unit like last time that Kakashi had crossed paths with Itachi.

Itachi waited for Kakashi to make the next move, which Kakashi applied to do as he grabbed his fist, concentrating until there was a crackling Chidori in his palm. Itachi stepped back a bit, thinking for his next defense. Sakura felt her stomach do a flip as she saw the Chidori. It reminded her of Sasuke, and how she had tried to protect him from Gaara that one time long ago, and how Kakashi had trained him to do it.

"Kakashi-sensei!" she called. Kisame elbowed her.

"Shut it, Kunoichi." Kisame said, for the first time not calling her by her first name. She could tell he was frustrated and serious, for he didn't crack a joke at her or anything. She looked at him, and looked away as he fended off another couple of ANBU and concentrated on the fight inbetween two people that meant so much to her.

Kakashi lowered his arm and sped off towards Itachi in an amazing speed, Itachi getting prepared to dodge, but Kakashi was planning on this and threw many Kunai in his direction, and muttering 'cancel' jutsus under his breath to cancel out any jutsu that Itachi would do, no matter if it was another attack or replacement.

Itachi dodged the kunai and his eyes narrowed but he did not yell out or show pain when Kakashi's chidori hit him in the stomach, sending him backwards into a tree. Sakura felt her stomach drop. Kakashi had hit Itachi.

She looked frantically as some of the dust cleared, showing nothing where Itachi had been. Kakashi noticed too and looked around not frantically but cautious. Itachi appeared behind Kakashi and pulled out a blade, swiping at Kakashi with it, which Kakashi noticed at the last minuted and jumped away, but not before it had sliced his side, blood pouring from it.

"Kakashi!" Sakura yelled and Kakashi looked at her dangerously as if telling her to shut up. She closed her mouth, eyes wide and she switched her eyes over to Itachi, her eyes roaming over his body. His stomach was fine…whatever Kakashi had hit, it wasn't Itachi, and Kakashi must have already noticed this as well.

"That Itachi…" Kakashi began.

"Was a shadow clone." Itachi said. "This is the first time I have actually began to fight you." Itachi added, smirking.

Kakashi narrowed his eyes. Itachi smirked wider and ran at Itachi, swiping at Kakashi as Kakashi blocked with his kunai. Sakura watched anxiously…neither of them were hitting each other and it made her nervous.

The ANBU were starting to get restless fighting Kisame, and Kisame had taken a few blows himself, letting go of Sakura in the process, but Sakura was so engulfed in the fight that ensued with Kakashi and Itachi that she had not even moved. One ANBU walked towards Sakura and bowed to her.

"Hey, ugly Hag." He said to her and she looked at him, a furious look spreading on her face.

"S..Sai?" She asked, and he removed his mask, smiling his empty smile. She smiled back at him.

"Everyone is worried about you, hag-chan, we're here to take you home. The other ANBU and Kakashi are taking care of Itachi and Kisame, we're planning on taking them with us." He continued.

Sakura's smile faltered and she looked back onto the fight. "As awful as I think my thoughts are, I don't think Kisame and Itachi are easily defeated, and I don't believe you'll be taking them with us…" She said, sighing and looking at him.

"It's that talk that makes it so." Sai said, most likely quoting some book he had read. She nodded at this. Kakashi and Itachi were still attacking and reflecting each other's attacks, and she watched again, suddenly feeling bored with it…she was still worried about the outcome, but it was almost as if they would do this forever.

Kakashi finally slashed Itachi's shoulder and then he created a makeshift Chidori, small but with the same effect as he hit Itachi's right shoulder. Itachi was silent, but he grabbed his shoulder in pain and Kakashi jumped back, throwing multiple Kunai at him, which he dodged but stumbled a bit.

"Itachi!" Sakura said, and started running to him but was stopped by Sai. She stood there, her, Kakashi and Itachi in a circle.

"Sakura…what are you doing?" Kakashi asked as she looked at Itachi with worried eyes. She looked at Kakashi, but then averted her eyes.

"I…" she started but was interrupted by Itachi.

"Are you going to go home with them, Sakura?" Itachi asked in a cold voice. "You finally have the option." He said, and Sakura looked away, but Itachi knew her answer, and he disappeared, reappearing next to Kisame. Kisame nodded, and they both disappeared together.

Kakashi clutched his side and walked to Sakura, who hugged him around the neck. "Kakashi-sensei…" She said, tears starting to blot her eyes, but Kakashi awkwardly patted her back.

"I'm sorry that happened, Sakura." He pulled her way from him. "Did they do anything to you?" he asked and she smiled at his fatherly gesture.

"No, they didn't do anything." Sakura said and Kakashi smiled.

"Good. Are you ready to go home?" Kakashi asked, and Sakura nodded smiling as the turned to go home, but she knew she wouldn't forget Itachi and how she had betrayed her feelings for Sasuke.

**END**

**Just kidding! Lol, I wouldn't end it THERE are you kidding me! This is only part one! Part two will be out as a different title, so look for it, okay? I'm not sure how the fight went, but do you think I should add another chapter to part one, as in…like, what happens when she returns to Konoha? I think I might like that, but I'm not sure, review and tell me, okay? Thank you for all your reviews but I'm really busy and this chapter was really rushed (And Short…) but anywayz….I still can't reply to all of your reviews but I'm so happy with how many I have received! I love you I love you I love you! –hugs- **


	11. Chapter 11

**Hey all! I've decided to put this at the top, okay? I am going with PowerfulMind's advice, and putting up a chapter with all of that in it before I start with Part Two. I was planning on doing something like this, but that review made up my mind for me, so thank you so much! Well, here's the last chapter of Part One, and look for the next Part, Part two, which will be under the name: Damaged Okies? I don't know why I chose that song, but it could be because of the song Damaged by Plummet, so if you want to check it out that would be awesome. Also, even under it is of the title of Damaged because of the song, the next Part will be inspired by the song "We Are so Last Year" by Hawthorne Heights, so check that out too, okies! **

**Chapter 11: Betraying**

Sakura took a deep breath of fresh air as she stepped through the gates of Konoha. She looked around, as she had done the day before she left, looking at all the familiar faces that were passing by her. Naruto was walking and talking with Ino, an angry look plastered on his face, and Ino nodded understandingly. Naruto sighed and looked up, spotting Sakura and Kakashi.

Naruto stopped in his tracks, and Ino bumped into him. "What the hell, Naruto what were you thin.." Ino's words halted as she looked at Sakura as well. Sakura smiled at them and they both smiled back at her, running to her. Naruto ran towards her with his arms spread wide and he tackled her, sending both of the crashing to the ground.

"Sakura!" he cried and hugged her tighter. "I didn't think I'd ever see you again…" he said and tears threatened to fall, but they didn't. Sakura patted his back awkwardly.

"Naruto…It's okay, I'm here, right? You don't have to be worried anymore." Sakura said soothingly and Naruto crossed his arms.

"I wasn't THAT worried, Sakura-chan. I knew you could do it." He smirked and Sakura rolled her eyes. She got up, brushing herself off.

"I'll help you, Sakura-chan." Naruto said and started to brush her ass off, making sure to spank her on the way. Sakura balled her fist and punched him, sending him into a near by fruit cart. Naruto groaned, and Sakura giggled. It was nice to be back home.

Sakura knocked on the door of Tsunade's office, and not hearing a reply she opened anyway. Tsunade was laying with her head on her hands on her desk, sleeping soundly. _She must have been on work overload while I was away…_ Sakura sighed and took a blanket from a nearby closet and draped it around her shoulders. Tsunade groaned and woke up, looking around. Her eyes grew wide as she saw Sakura.

"S..Sakura-chan!" Tsunade said and stood up, touching Sakura's shoulder as some sort of test to prove that she was actually there. Satisfied, Tsunade pulled Sakura into a hug. "Oh thank god…" she said. Sakura was currently squished in between her large breasts and could barely breathe, wiggling her arms in an attempt to free herself.

A cough from her doorway finally made Tsunade step away, to the relief of Sakura. It was Kakashi, his lazy smile had returned. "As much as I like to watch girl on girl action, I have to interrupt for my report."

Sakura blushed and Tsunade twitched. "Pervert!" They both yelled at the same time, and Sakura was getting ready to punch him when Tsunade stopped her.

"I'm glad you're back, Sakura-chan. Please, it's very busy right now but I want you to report tomorrow…and come visit me a lot, I've missed you." She said, nodding Sakura's dismissal. Sakura smiled and walked to the door, glaring at Kakashi on the way out, who returned the glare with a care-free smile, which changed to a frown when he heard the door shut.

"Tsunade-sama…My report is that we have retrieved Sakura, as you have clearly noted…but also, I wanted to report that Itachi is improving in his skills more than I expected, as has Kisame's…I also believe that Itachi has…developed…how should I put this…feelings for Sakura." Kakashi said, narrowing his eyes. Tsuande looked surprised.

"How ever did you come to that conclusion?" she asked. "You were only with him a short time..."

"He kept on snatching glances at Sakura, as if to see if she was alright the whole time, and when it came down to it, he ASKED Sakura if she wanted to leave, not take her with him forcefully as he normally would have done. He also had the chance to kill her the whole 4 weeks they were together…but he didn't, did he?" Kakashi said. "I might be mistaken, but all what I have seen is that he might actually care for Sakura." Kakashi shrugged, and Tsunade rubbed her forehead.

"I think we've nothing to worry about. Itachi doesn't develop feelings, does he and I'm sure 4 weeks was not enough time to develop much of anything near like, much less love, Kakashi-san, and considering how idiotic men are in the category of love, I'm sure you were mistaken." Tsunade said, ignoring the situation in all ways possible.

"All I'm saying, is that Itachi might come back for her. Either for bait or for his own desires, but I think keeping an eye on her wouldn't hurt." He said, and Tsunade nodded. "I think maybe she should live with someone…" Kakashi continued and Tsunade glared at him.

"That is a good idea…but forget the idea of her staying with YOU, that poor girl would never be showering alone…" Tsunade growled and Kakashi put up his hands in defense.

"Besides, she has her mother…." Tsunade continued. "…who isn't a trained kunoichi." Kakashi finished, crossing his arms. Tsunade sighed.

"Okay, because I don't want her in a dangerous situation, I'll agree to this plan. She will live with Naruto, until all signs of Itachi are far away, understood?" Tsunade said. "Please, Kakashi, go inform both of your former students of the change." Kakashi nodded, and walked out of the door.

Sakura was at home, sitting on her couch and watching TV while drinking a cup of hot chocolate, her hair wet with water after she had showered. After she had returned home, her mom was all over her, doing everything she possibly could for her daughter who had just returned home. Sakura smiled at the new memory she had that involved her mother fainting when she had opened the door. Her mother had been up for 4 weeks of terribly sleepless nights, worried for the life of her daughter.

Sakura had many other visitors as well, including all of her old friends, with the exception of Ten Ten, who had recently gone missing, and it scared the hell out of Sakura when she had heard. Ten Ten was an ANBU member, and either Kisame or Itachi had killed many both in the ambush of the small city and when they had retrieved Sakura…but she wasn't worried that much for her friend.

The memory of the fights brought up the subject of Itachi, who she hadn't thought of at all until now. It was oddly painful to think that she wouldn't be seeing his face everyday. She hadn't even figured out her feelings for the older Uchiha brother, and the thought that she had betrayed Sasuke even the slightest bit gave a shiver of guilt run through her spine, reminding her of not a guilty shiver but the excited shiver when he had seen her naked, and when she had seen him in his birthday suit as well, which made her blush at her weirdest, but guiltily, and secretly favorite memory that she did not intend to tell anyone, or of the other memory.

Her hand flew to her lips as she remembered his soft lips on hers, not forceful or hurtful as she had expected from him, but soft and gentle, almost as if he were afraid if he had kissed her any harder she would break. It was almost as if his kiss was shy, or as if he wasn't confident at all which was the last thing she would have suspected from him. He was so good looking, that she was sure he had kissed many girls before, but it was as if she was the first one he'd ever kissed…but he was a really good kisser all the same, and the thoughts she was having about him made her blush…

Since when had she ever thought he was good looking…and when had he ever been considered a good kisser to her? Her mind then started to play almost a movie-like picture in her head, of all the times she had looked at him in the course of the 4 weeks she had spent with him: Itachi by the fire, Itachi walking, Itachi eating, Itachi fighting, Itachi's surprised expression as he had caught her bathing, the sleeping image of him as he pulled her closer to him for warmth, but she was still so close to him…

Her mind had done the same thing with Sasuke…the only difference, was the that she had never actually experienced any of the things with Sasuke that she had with Itachi, and it made her wonder why Itachi was more capable to love than Sasuke was…or was it just Sakura herself? She didn't know what the reason was, but she suddenly found herself thinking that if she had to spend the rest of her life with someone, would she rather want to spend it chasing Sasuke and trying to make him love her, or with Itachi who was on his own, already showing her a glimmer of his feelings?

It was then that she decided…she decided that she loved Itachi even if it was impossible for them to be together without her hurting someone…., and that she was betraying Sasuke. But oddly, guiltily….she was okay with it. And that's what scared her the most.

-Itachi-

Itachi winced as Kisame re-dressed the wound. Itachi couldn't even remember the last time someone had actually been able to hit him, but he knew that Kakashi had, and it had been Sakura's fault…No, it was his own fault but it was because of Sakura that he got hit. He had to make sure she was okay, especially with that one ANBU standing so close and talking to her. It made him angry, for some reason, and he had let Kakashi damage him, and it made him upset.

This was the exact reason that he avoided these types of feelings…they got in the way. That's why he had killed his clan, and his best friend…

He had already decided that the feeling was lust, but the way his stomach flip-flopped everytime Sakura looked at him made him think differently. But he couldn't love Sakura, and she couldn't love him. It was forbidden, and his own policy was being broken. He had need Sakura, but now that she was gone he could focus more.

Yes, It was better this way…without Sakura. But even though he tried to stop it, he felt a feeling that he hadn't felt in a long, long time; regret.

Sakura woke up from her spot on the couch by a knock on the door. All the thinking she had don't must have made her fall asleep on the couch. She groggily got up and walked to the door. She opened it and saw Kakashi standing there, along with Naruto. Naruto jumped through the door and slung his arm around her neck.

"Yo, Sakura…my rooming buddy!" he said, and Sakura had a surprised expression on her face.

"W-what?" She stammered and Kakashi nodded.

"Hai, Sakura-chan, You will be rooming with Naruto, for security reasons. No exceptions." Kakashi said, and Sakura groaned.

"Couldn't you have chosen any one ELSE?" Sakura said, and Naruto frowned, poking her in the stomach.

"It's okay, Sakura-chan, I will protect you! And I won't peek at you in the shower…" Naruto said, noting the glare Sakura sent his way.

"It was either him or Sai…" Kakashi said and Sakura smiled.

"So, Naruto will you help me move in?" Naruto yelled and smiled.

"Sure thing, Sakura-chan I shall be here tomorrow to help you." Naruto finished and ran out the door, Kakashi waved and started walking with him. Sakura smiled as she watched the two men leave, an image of Sasuke walking with them coming before he eyes. Her smiled turned sad, but then when she looked beside her, she saw the image of Itachi looking down at her, unlike the back of Sasuke who was always finding a way to escape from her heart.

**End of Part One!**

**Yay finally Part One is FIN! Lol, hope you like it! I am going to bed now it's late I shall see you all in the morning, lol with my new Part Two! –hugs- Okies, well I still don't have enough time to reply to all your reviews, so I have COMPLETELY given up, but I'll start replying again in Part Two! If you see this story manage to keep on the first page of Naruto Stories, it's because I'm going to try to keep it there to get as many people to read it as Possible! Thank you all my loverly reviewers I shall see you in the next part! –huggles- Muah, muah! XD**


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